Root not required, but suggest you use SPMC which is more amenable to Android devices

4. Install Netflix.

Root not required, may need google play services. If you have Kodi, why you need Netflix????

Also strongly suggest you disable OTA firmware updates and freeze your current firmware level
Any exploit discovered to enable root access is quickly responded to with an OTA upgrade by Xiaomi. Better to fix your device at the current firmware level so you could be able to use any forthcoming root exploits.

The mi box 3 stated a Firmware update although I did not intent it to do so.

I didn't have root before the update and I certainly have no root now.

- 360Root does not work;
- KingRoot does not work;
- Kingo Root does not work.

In short: it seems I am unable to get root, and I am almost at the point that I am willing to through the damned device in the bin !
Please help me out, Thanks for trying...

Click to expand...

Well I second you, I am unable to root it with 1.4.15/1.3.114 (downgraded with system restore). There are a few other tutorials which further downgraded the FW rooted finally. Well I wont do that coz 1.3.114 itself is buggy and would not detect USB drives. Root via USB ADB/APK both have failed.
Looks like the really bad decision to buy this now and I have reached a point that even bricking this dumb box wont paint me at all.

I upgraded my FW from 1.3.114 to 1.4.15 back again and installed the APKs (from above link)in the specific order and restarted after each installation.

Further assigned the permission as specified via ADB bridge.

Even after this sign in did not work, so decided to enable logging in my mi box and pulled out the log via logcat command where

I spotted this - W/GooglePlayServicesUtil( 7671): Google Play services out of date. Requires 7895000 but found 6599070

E/GooglePlayServicesUtil( 7671): GooglePlayServices not available due to error 2.

At the time of error I had Play services app at 6.x.x version and tried to update it to the latest 9.2.56 which did not work either.

So tried installing a newer version 8.7.03 which actually got installed. Opened the youtube app and voila- I had my account signed in Youtube.

Below are the versions of APKs running in my system.

Chrome-38.0.2125.114 (updated further and works)

Gmail-5.0(1569867)

Google Account manager- 4.0.3 (239410)

Google Play store - 5.1.11

Google services framework -4.0.4-338691

Google Play services - 8.7.03(2645110-30) - this is not from the APK link.

I further updated all the APK except the play services frame work via and App ‘9 Apps’. Found this nifty .

Let me know if you need the APKs.

I will continue to research to further get the play store running.

Click to expand...

Great work San_7, well done.

At the moment I am on Holliday and therefore I can not attempt to follow your directions since the mi box is at home

I think it would help if you would provide one zip file which contains all relevant apk and an accompanying readme which basically sums up the steps you already wrote down in your previous post(s)...

It would speed up the process a lot... At least it would for me. Supposing you would provide a link to this magic zip file then this would happen..... As soon as I am at home again, I will download the zip file and follow the readme directions to the letter. If all goes well I should be up an running in no time !

I will reply here when I am back home again.

Thanks again for your pioneering work, I for one really appreciate it!

4. Restart, sign in to play store, it will sign in and rest of the apps should be able to access your account. Enjoy Youtube.

I could further not research on this. Note about point 1& 3,I did these as they were recommended by the post I used and did not bother to check if it really could be a problem. However the android log (enabled in box) did tell me that my play services were out of date and needed upgrading (error -W/GooglePlayServicesUtil( 7671): Google Play services out of date. Requires 7895000 but found 6599070 ).

Well I could not pair the TV youtube with phone app, however from ios (Tubee- via mirroring ,tubio - via DLNA) and android (Tubio - via DLNA) I was able to cast youtube videos.

4. Restart, sign in to play store, it will sign in and rest of the apps should be able to access your account. Enjoy Youtube.

I could further not research on this. Note about point 1& 3,I did these as they were recommended by the post I used and did not bother to check if it really could be a problem. However the android log (enabled in box) did tell me that my play services were out of date and needed upgrading (error -W/GooglePlayServicesUtil( 7671): Google Play services out of date. Requires 7895000 but found 6599070 ).

Well I could not pair the TV youtube with phone app, however from ios (Tubee- via mirroring ,tubio - via DLNA) and android (Tubio - via DLNA) I was able to cast youtube videos.

4. Restart, sign in to play store, it will sign in and rest of the apps should be able to access your account. Enjoy Youtube.

I could further not research on this. Note about point 1& 3,I did these as they were recommended by the post I used and did not bother to check if it really could be a problem. However the android log (enabled in box) did tell me that my play services were out of date and needed upgrading (error -W/GooglePlayServicesUtil( 7671): Google Play services out of date. Requires 7895000 but found 6599070 ).

Well I could not pair the TV youtube with phone app, however from ios (Tubee- via mirroring ,tubio - via DLNA) and android (Tubio - via DLNA) I was able to cast youtube videos.

Click to expand...

Thanks San_7, worked well with my Mi Box 3 with the latest firmware. I can sign in Youtube now.

Finally at home...
I can start Gmail and Netflix right from the home screen, so that alone is great by itself!
However, this is not yet the case for the Play Store, or YouTube.

I followed your steps to the letter, but I am not sure how the last item in step 3 works or what it does for what installed apk...

Question1: Do I need to run this same after each installed app?
pm grant com.google.android.gms android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS

Question2: Do I need to change it to accomodate each apk?
Perhaps for Google Account Mgr it would come down to this:
pm grant com.google.android.GoogleAccountMgr android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS

Anyway, at the moment, after I click the Play Store Icon, I get this message “Error retrieving information from server. [RH-01]”

In short, whatever I do, I keep getting Error retrieving information from server. [RH-01] from the play store.
Question3: What am I doing wrong?

Hello,
For play store to work we indeed need root, I could see a permission being denied in the log file which only seemed to be granted after the device is rooted.

However your youtube should work and you should be able to sign in if the tasks are performed in order as it worked for me.
1) This permission has to be assigned only once after you have finished installing all APK in the order.
2) No it need not be changed because these seemed to be just a single one for all app.see this example and its not related to what we are doing here, just posted to explain the context.

3) Only the order i can think of, try using the latest youtube apk because it works for me

Finally at home...
I can start Gmail and Netflix right from the home screen, so that alone is great by itself!
However, this is not yet the case for the Play Store, or YouTube.

I followed your steps to the letter, but I am not sure how the last item in step 3 works or what it does for what installed apk...

Question1: Do I need to run this same after each installed app?
pm grant com.google.android.gms android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS

Question2: Do I need to change it to accomodate each apk?
Perhaps for Google Account Mgr it would come down to this:
pm grant com.google.android.GoogleAccountMgr android.permission.INTERACT_ACROSS_USERS

Anyway, at the moment, after I click the Play Store Icon, I get this message “Error retrieving information from server. [RH-01]”

In short, whatever I do, I keep getting Error retrieving information from server. [RH-01] from the play store.
Question3: What am I doing wrong?

hi guys, i bought my mi box 3 yesterday, glad to see the thread is alive and well, tnx for that, ill inform you if im successful or not also. i have the cortex A53 Quad version with 1.4.15 firmware. im a bit worried

hi guys, its me again, this thing is pissing me off, i cant go into the recovery. im doing it over and over again Center + Return then plug power but still booting to Mi screen then to Home... MDZ-16-AA with firmware 1.4.15

You can change language for EVERY mi box, dont need root. Use apk com.nosapps.android.langswitch copied to USB thumb drive or place the apk somewhere on your local network share.
Start videoplayer from homescreen and use file browser to find langswitch apk.
(Screen will be in Chinese at this point but icons are easy to understand.)
Next apk you should install is ES File Explorer, which will give you true file browser capacity
Hint:You can use this method to 'sideload' any valid android apk.

Can i flash Xiaomi MiBox 3S firmware on to Xiaomi MiBox 3 to get English ???

Click to expand...

FYI MDZ-16-AB is the upcoming S905x based ANDROIDTV box, using 2GB/8GB memory component and a special version of AndroidTV OS which is optimized for Leanback paradigm, and is designated as simply MiBox!!!

The MiBox 3s (MDZ-16-AA) is using an advanced Mediatek SOC so its firmware will not be possible to use with Amlogic S905 SOC as found in Mibox 3 (MDZ-09-AA).

FYI MDZ-16-AB is the upcoming S905x based ANDROIDTV box, using 2GB/8GB memory component and a special version of AndroidTV OS which is optimized for Leanback paradigm, and is designated as simply MiBox!!!

The MiBox 3s (MDZ-16-AA) is using an advanced Mediatek SOC so its firmware will not be possible to use with Amlogic S905 SOC as found in Mibox 3 (MDZ-09-AA).